The Academy
by MissMariaWrites
Summary: The Mystic Falls Academy for Exceptional Young Women is not what it's cut out to be. Its manicured grounds and high stone walls serve as a perfect cover for what it really is- a school for spies. Rated M for later chapters. Klaroline, of course.
1. Start from the Beginning

**I MADE AN INSTAGRAM AND YOU GUYS SHOULD CHECK IT OUT ( MISSMARIAWRITES).**

**Just got out of the hospital. I fractured my tibia a couple of weeks back and haven't been able to do anything productive in regards to school or writing. This is something I've been meaning to put up for a while and finally had the courage to do it.**

**It kind of follows the story line of Ally Carter's Gallagher Girls books (which you should totally read if you haven't), but I'll branch off to my own plot line throughout the story.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 1: Start from the Beginning

"Start from the beginning."

Caroline looked up at the man seated in front of her. His dark hair was slicked back, his gray suit impeccable, his white shirt pressed and pristine. He pressed a button on the recorder to his right, then grabbed a pen and held it to the notepad situated in front of him.

She knew that the recorder wasn't the only recording device in the room; there was one under the stainless steel table that separated them, another one on the ceiling at the far left hand corner of the room, and that tie clip the man was wearing was most definitely not an ordinary tie clip. She also knew that the pen the man was holding was blue despite the fact that the actual pen was completely black and that the notepad was missing precisely 17 pages.

What Caroline didn't know was where to start

She began babbling off dates and times- things that she knew by memory. His hand moved quickly over the sheet as he jotted down everything she said. By the jerky and abrupt movements of his fingers, Caroline could tell he was writing in shorthand- surely Gregg or Pittman.

"Those are the exact dates and times you gave our first debriefing team," he interrupted her stream of babbling.

"I need you to give me all the information related to the incident- as detailed as possible." Caroline recognized the use of the word "me" as a tool for creating a faux personal connection- basic Interrogation 101. It didn't surprise her- he was part of Debrief Team Two. They usually tried to relate to their interviewees so that they could get more personal details, or so she's heard.

But his friendly tone was starkly contrasted by the way he looked straight at her, his dark irises boring into hers.

Caroline sighed, knowing this would happen- it was inevitable.

She knew exactly where to start...

_"Caroline, wait up!" A voice called from behind her and she turned to see Bonnie running down the hallway, dodging the clumsy freshmen._

_"Hey, Bon." Caroline smiled and turned back around as she fell into step beside her._

_"Ready for day one of junior year?"_

_"We've been in day one of junior year for four hours now," Caroline pointed out._

_"Same difference," Bonnie waved her hand, dismissing the detail._

_They continued to talk about random topics- their summer, their classes, recent gossip- things they had already generally talked about that morning while getting ready._

_Although Bonnie was one of Caroline's best friends, they had spent most of the summer apart. Bonnie had gone back to London to visit her grandmother, as well as to spend a couple of weeks with her parents at MI6. They met up a few times when Liz's missions crossed the Bennetts', otherwise they were on separate sides of the globe._

_The two girls reached the place where their classroom was supposed to be, only to be faced with a fake trophy case containing fake trophies, all awarded to the Mystic Falls Academy for Exceptional Young Women._

_"Are we in the right place?" Bonnie asked, looking around. Caroline frowned and pulled her schedule from my bag, something she never thought she would need to do._

_"I'm pretty sure my photographic memory isn't failing," another voice sounded behind them and Caroline turned to see Elena looking at the trophy case as well._

_"That over there is 160E," Elena said, turning her head to the right and pointing at one of the doors that ran along the corridor "And that over there is 164E," she continued, looking to the right and pointing at another door._

_"And this is 162E," said another voice. Their teacher, Alaric Saltzman, stepped forward and went to touch the stones on the wall next to the case._

_After taping a combination of stones (which they all memorized immediately), the faint click of a lock sounded through the air and they watched as the case pulled back into the wall and then up, revealing a door behind it._

_By then, they had been joined by the rest of the class and everyone looked on in awe as Mr. Saltzman stepped through the door, leading them to their new Covert Operations classroom._

_There was a long stone corridor with many twists and turns before they reached another door- a steel door._

_"Would anyone like to volunteer?" Alaric asked, stepping aside and motioned toward the little steel pad by the door._

_"Me!" Bonnie called out, stepping forward._

_"Alright, Ms. Bennett, stand in front of the pad." She did and soon after what looked like a small metal tray slid out._

_"Place your finger on the tray," Mr. Saltzman instructed and Bonnie carefully placed her index finger on the tray. Everyone craned their necks, trying to see what was going on._

_"Ow!" Bonnie yanked her finger away from the tray and looked at it, her eyes wide. "It pricked me!"_

_Just as she began to complain, the steel door slid open and everyone looked inside. Bonnie looked inside as well, completely forgetting the blood pooling on her finger._

_"Thank you Ms. Bennett, that was a lovely demonstration," Mr. Saltzman said as he stepped through the threshold of the classroom. "Now don't get too comfortable, we will only be here for a few minutes."_

_They all filed in and looked around. It was a regular classroom (well, as normal as it can get when you go to a school for spies in training). The walls and floor were made of stone, just liked the corridor they had come through. To the right there were desks, lined in three perfect rows, each on a different stone plateau. At the front, there was a larger desk as well as a chalkboard with the words 'Covert Operations II' written in Alaric's chicken scratch._

_"Welcome to Covert Operation level two," he said from the front of the class as he opened one of his desk drawers and rummaged through it. "First order of business-" he pulled out a set of keys and jingled them "Field trip."_

_Within the next hour they had all changed out of our school uniform and into regular clothes, gotten into a standard yellow school bus and driven into the town limits._

_"Today is the Mystic Falls Founder's day parade," Alaric called out from his place at the front of the bus. "Your mission is to select a target. You will operate in teams of four and execute a rotation." Everyone nodded, picking up a comms unit from a case that was being passed around._

_"You will then return with a detailed report of the individual-" He turned around to face them then. "Have I made myself clear?"_

_"Yes, sir!" Everyone replied in unison._

_"Remember the rules of engagement and return to the rendezvous point at 20:00 hours"_

_"Yes, sir!" Everyone called out again. The bus stopped and everyone except Mr. Saltzman filed out._

_The bus was soon pulling away, leaving a group of girls alone just outside the town of Mystic Falls, Virginia._

_There was a steady hum of chatter as the group assembled into teams of four._

_"Make sure our comms are on the same frequency," Elena said as she, Bonnie, Katerina and Caroline stood close together. They all touched our earpieces and fumbled with them until they were on the same frequency._

_"Alright, plan of action?" Bonnie asked._

_"Well, everyone is entering the town square through the South..." Katerina started._

_"We should go in through the East. We are closer to the eastern entrance and we'll just insert ourselves into the flow of the crowd," Caroline finished._

_"And the rotation?" Elena pointed out._

_"We'll wait an hour until the parade is underway to select a target and execute the rotation" Caroline answered again, her neurotic tendencies taking over._

_"So the plan is set?" Bonnie made sure._

_"Yes," Caroline answered._

_"Let's go," Katerina said._

_After that they all headed toward the eastern entrance to the town square where most of the parade was taking place. They were all caught off guard when they saw that everyone was dressed in costumes from the 19th century- Civil War time._

_"Can anyone say 'wardrobe crisis'?" Katerina's voice came through the comms unit._

_Wardrobe crisis indeed._

_One of the most important rules of espionage was that one must always blend in with the crowd and never stand out- unless the mission called for it._

_And the mission most definitely did not call for it._

_"Relax, Kat. I bet there's a store that can get you what you need." From where the other three girls were standing they could see Katerina's brown curls bobbing, indicating that she had nodded, and then she disappeared._

_They had made the mistake of not having eyes on the crowd, and Kat had gone in blind. When she rounded the corner, her voice had come through the unit, telling them that something was wrong. When they adjusted their position so that we could see the crowd, the hoop skirts and Confederate uniforms stared them right in the face._

_"What are we going to do? We can't go in there dressed like this!" Elena squealed and although a little melodramatic, she was right. They were already new faces in a small town, not adhering to the dress code would make them stick out like a sore thumb._

_"Oh, my goodness! Thank you so much! My friends and I just got into town yesterday to visit some family members and we had no idea that dressing up was part of tradition for the parade! We were totally unprepared" Katerina's voice blasted through he comms._

_"Oh, it's no problem honey! We got tons of dresses for the occasion," The faint sound of a woman with a thick southern accent came through and they all smiled at each other._

_"Leave it to Katerina to find the store you need," Bonnie chuckled._

_Soon they were all decked in 19th century garb- hoop dresses with intricate patterns and puffy sleeves, feathered hats and interesting necklaces._

_"Rotation in five," Elena said._

_"Yes, Elena, we are aware. You've been counting down for the past 30 minutes," Katerina snapped, her Bulgarian accent thick._

_"Oh, I'm sorry Katerina. I was trying to keep everyone on the same page so that no one would ditch the mission for a cute guy," Elena fired back._

_"It was one time! And it was part of my cover."_

_"Can you two knock it off! Are you in position?" Bonnie asked, clearly aggravated. Their replies came through and Caroline readied herself, eyes on their target._

_"Ready Caroline?"_

_"Yes,"_

_"Alright- three, two, one..." Bonnie counted down and Caroline stepped into the crowd._

_"Oh, I'm so sorry!" She said sweetly as the boy's arms reached out to catch her._

_"Are you alright?" He asked, looking into her eyes. She had my hand on his wrist so she felt his pulse spike and knew it was because of her eyes- they had that effect on people._

_"Yes, thank you," Caroline breathed, feigning the look of a girl who had been captivated by the boy's looks. It wasn't that difficult, he wasn't particularly hard on the eyes._

_Caroline stayed in his embrace for a bit longer before he pulled away slightly._

_"My name is Tyler," he said, flashing a perfect smile._

_"I'm Candice," she said smoothly, the alias slipping past her lips as if it weren't a lie._

_"Candice," he repeated. "That's a beautiful name for a beautiful face. How come I've never seen you around?"_

_"Oh, I'm just visiting," she kept my voice sweet, praying that Bonnie was close- she wouldn't be able to keep the facade up for much longer._

_"How lon-" He started, but someone shoved into him from behind. Caroline took the opportunity to slip away, and by the time he turned to look at her, she was no longer there._

_"You're up, Elena" Caroline said quietly and made her way through the crowd, taking her time to carry out the proper steps of counter surveillance._

_By 19:30 hours, she was at the old Fell church._

_"What took you so long? Elena was in and out- what were you doing?" Katerina questioned, not in a bitchy Katerina sort of way, but in a worried Katerina sort of way._

_"Counter surveillance," Caroline said simply and sat down on the ground next to the rest of the team._

_"Great pick-and-hand-off by the way," Bonnie commended._

_"Great return," Caroline smiled and returned the compliment._

_Unbeknownst to Tyler, he had just had a full blown background check done on him. While they had had their run in, Caroline had easily been able to grab hold of his wallet and hand it off to Bonnie while they were talking. She copied all information found on anything in his wallet. When she bumped into him, she slipped it back into his pocket, simultaneously giving Caroline a chance to make a clean getaway._

_After that, Elena came in and got samples of his fingerprints while Kat gathered information from a very drunk varsity football team._

_The rotation had been a success._

_"Well done girls- shall we get to the rendezvous point?" Kat said, standing up and dusting off her dress. Bonnie grabbed the small folder that had all the information on their target and Elena and Caroline followed close behind._

_"Rules of engagement aside-" Katerina started. "He was so hot!"_

_"Right?" Bonnie said, opening the folder and taking out a picture of the boy._

_"Tyler Lockwood, star varsity football player, average student," she said, reciting the list she had probably already memorized._

_"You guys looked cute together, Care." Elena said and Caroline laughed, knowing it was true._

"That was the first encounter?" The man across from Caroline asked and she nodded.

"I met with the rest of the class at the rendezvous point at 20:00 hours and we made our way back to the academy. We turned in our report on the target to Mr. Saltzman and then turned in for the night."

He jotted down more notes.

"And when was the next encounter?"

"Six days later," Caroline said automatically.

"Did you return to Mystic Falls on your own accord or for academic purposes?"  
"On my own accord."

"After this, the encounters became frequent?"

"Yes."

"Did the subject ever learn your true identity?"

"Yes, but the amnesia serum administered to him by the operative Elizabeth Forbes cleared him of that knowledge." He jotted down more notes.

"Since then, did you ever encounter the subject again?"

"No," she said, remember the last time she went into town and saw him with a brunette, walking down the street hand in hand. Her name was Vicky (Elena had found her file later that day).

"You are aware that you broke the rules of engagement correct?"

"Yes," Caroline said, knowing that the only real consequences would be those that she would suffer alone.

* * *

After the debriefing, Caroline went through multiple other tests, and after roughly five hours in the facility she was let out. She had been there since eight in the morning, so it was just early noon when she stepped out into the world again.

Caroline shielded her eyes from the bright sun and let her vision adjust. Being underground for the better part of the day can take a toll on one's eyesight.

A long black limo was parked in front of her and the back door opened. Elizabeth Forbes stepped out in a navy blue pinstripe skirt suit, her short blonde hair framing her face.

Caroline walked toward her and she stepped aside, letting her into the limo. Caroline sat and stared out the window as the car door shut and she felt the seat sink as her mother sat down.

"How did it go?" She said conversationally.

"Fine," Caroline replied, putting no emotion into her voice.

"Everything went smoothly?"

"If something had gone wrong, would I be here right now?" Caroline turned to her then. Liz nodded, knowing the answer. Caroline sighed and resumed looking out the window. First, they were in the countryside which gave way to the buildings and monuments of Washington, D.C.

Soon after they were on a highway, heading South, on their way home.

They didn't say anything else to each other for the rest of the trip. Caroline knew her mother had been trying to make conversation when she asked how everything had gone, but she just wasn't up for it.

She also knew that it was unreasonable to be acting like she was, but she couldn't help it. The teenage hormones raging inside her were telling her to yell and scream at her mother for separating her from Tyler. But the calm and level headed operative in her told her that her had been following protocol, and that if she had not, worse things could have happened.

This inner battle had been going on since the moment Tyler walked out the school's front doors and back to Mystic Falls. Surely he had gone to bed and woken up the next day with no recollection that the Mystic Falls Academy was a school for spies and that Caroline's name wasn't Candice, and that hurt.

After he had gone, Caroline had gone up to her room where Kat, Bonnie, and Elena were waiting. Katerina said that if she felt broken, it was normal because that's how you felt when you lose your first love. Bonnie offered to make tea and Elena offered to help Caroline hack the a Sapphire Series code because that always made her feel better.

Instead of staying with them and crying her heart out over a cup of tea and some ice cream that Kat had stolen from the kitchen, Caroline said that she was fine and that she had some thinking to do.

Then she disappeared- which is what she does best. She climbed up to her favorite hiding spot (the West tower) and looked out the window where she could see the falls. They looked small from where she was, but close up she knew they were tall and majestic. Caroline was so captivated by them that she didn't even realize she had started crying, the tears burning her eyes and cheeks.

When she was able to stop crying, she looked down at her wrist and saw the bracelet Tyler had given her, which brought on a new wave of fresh tears.

Caroline shook her head, clearing her mind of the memory and looking out the window, her internal clock telling her that it had been an hour and 47 minutes since they had left Washington, which meant that they should have been arriving in Mystic Falls soon.

And she was right. The driver took a left off of Main Street and onto a side road.

Caroline had never been so happy to see the barrier of pine trees that surrounded the Mystic Falls Academy for Exceptional Young Women.

They passed through the large metal gate and set on the long winding path that lead to the main entrance of the academy. She looked out to the manicured lawns and perfectly trimmed trees and hedges which added to the facade of a rich all girls school.

She smiled as she saw the line of black limousines, all exactly the same as the one she was in.

When their car pulled up to the front, she opened the door and took in the sight of girls shrieking and lugging their suitcases, embracing their friends. She could pick out the seventh graders easily- they stayed quiet and to themselves, looking as scared as they felt.

She rounded the side of the car and waited for the trunk to pop open. When it did, Caroline grabbed her two suitcases and book bag and made her way to the entrance.

"Caroline," her mother called out and she turned to see her next to their limo. "Remember dinner tonight," she said and Caroline nodded, turning and making her way toward the Grand Staircase. She had promised herself that she wouldn't use any of the secret passages this year- unless it was a dire emergency.

Caroline looked at the West wing corridor, filled with with girls trying to find their rooms. Then she looked at the grand staircase, packed with girls running up and down. And at that moment, she knew she had to break her resolution- In retrospect, she knew it wouldn't last very long.

After making it to the second floor landing, Caroline glanced around to see if anyone was looking. When she made sure no one was, she ran her hand over the stone wall until she found the right stone. When she pressed it, it moved aside to reveal a tarnished door knob. She turned it and the secret door opened.

Caroline stepped through and put her bags on the ground, then searched around for a flashlight she had put there in the ninth grade. She found it and turned it on, then grabbed her bags again.

After about a minute of walking, she reached the spiralling staircase and started carefully climbing each step- it wasn't easy with three bags and a flashlight.

When Caroline reached the top, she held her breath and listened to the sound of the girls on the other side.

She waited a few seconds and pushed the door open. This particular door was well hidden from the view of anyone who might pass by it since it was built into an alcove- the large fern covering it helped too.

Caroline let the door close and then stepped around the plant, casually making her way to my bedroom. No one seemed to have noticed that she appeared out of nowhere.

"Caroline Forbes," -except Bonnie, of course. She stood at the door of their room, arms crossed over her chest

"What?" Caroline asked, stepping in front of her and expecting her to move aside. Instead, Bonnie reached over and picked something off her shoulder, dangling it in front of her face.

"The school year has yet to start and you're already creeping through the shadows?" She said with mock sternness as she let the delicate cobweb fall to the ground.

"The hallways were crowded, Bon," Caroline said and moved into the room, dropping her bags onto the mattress.

She looked around, observing that the other three beds were already made.

"Am I the last one to get here?" She asked. Aside from the beds already being made, there were clothes on hangers in closets, books piled neatly on desks, laptops plugged in.

"Yeah, Kat and Elena arrived together, but I've been here since yesterday," she shrugged.

"Yesterday?" Caroline reiterated while unzipping one of her suitcases and pulling out a set of bed sheets and pillowcases.

"My dad had to drop me off sooner than expected. He was called in for a mission in Istan- I mean the middle east," she quickly caught herself.

Caroline laughed and Bonnie laughed along with her.

"Does anyone have a curling iron they aren't going to use tomorrow?" Came a voice from the doorway and they both turned to see Anna at their door.

"Yeah I have one," Caroline said, pulling out her pink curling iron and tossing it to her.

"Thanks!" She said and disappeared into the hallway.

In a regular all girls school, Caroline would bet no one in the student body cares how they look. Yeah, they'll wear their uniforms- but they'll be wrinkled. They probably have their hair in a messy bun all week and they never wear makeup.

But in the Mystic Falls Academy, they have one sole reason for looking presentable year round- Covert Operations.

You don't actually start CoveOps until sophomore year, and no one is allowed to talk about what goes on in CoveOps. Period.

So in the fall of sophomore year when Mr. Saltzman told them that we were having a "field trip" and didn't give them a chance to change, 12 Mystic Falls academy sophomores went out into the world looking like the scum of the earth.

Needless to say, they learned their lesson.

"Well, look who's back," Kat said as she entered the room, Elena following closely behind her carrying a stack of books.

"Already, Elena?" Caroline asked while hugging Kat.

"What? I have Advanced Microelectronics and History of World Poisons this year and these," she paused and dropped the books onto her bed. "Are the best resources in the library and I didn't want anyone else grabbing them before me."

They all laughed- typical Elena.

Caroline finished hanging up all her clothes and taking out her school supplies before tucking her suitcase under her bed. She grabbed her laptop and sat on the bed, pulling up her summer paper and reading it over.

"Isn't it amazing how they let us bring our laptops this year?" Kat mused.

"Yeah but only for writing papers, we aren't actually allowed to go on the Internet," Bonnie reminded her.

"Yeah, but it's better than having to wait to use the computers in the library," Kat said and they all nodded.

Caroline was halfway through her report when something started to bug her. It had been bugging her since she had come in but now it was really bothering her.

"Is it just me or did the hallways seem a little crowded today?" Caroline asked out loud.

"No, it was crowded," Bonnie said looking up.

"Yeah, it's probably because of the whole East wing thing," Elena said nonchalantly as she put away her books.

"East wing thing?" Caroline asked.

"Yeah, they closed off the East wing," Kat said from her place on her bed. "Me and 'Lena were going to go ask Ms. Sommers if there were any resources she was requiring us to have this year but when we got to the wing entrance it was sealed off. Dr. Fell told us that there had been a leak in the lab and they had to quarantine the area until further notice."

"So where are we going to have class? Over half of the classrooms were in the east wing," Caroline pointed out.

"They moved some of the smaller classes to the first floor of the West wing, everything else is in the South wing," Kat said.

"Hm," Caroline said, frowning. It was strange.

The fact that there had been a leak wasn't strange, those types of things happened all the time. But that the leak had been large enough to close out a whole wing? That had only happened once in MFA history, and they had instilled protocol so that it would never happen again.

What made this even stranger was the timing. It happened over the summer, right after one of the biggest security breaches the academy had ever seen (admittedly, the security breach was cause by her).

"Why the face, Care?" Bonnie asked.

"Oh it's nothing, just-" she sighed, closing her laptop and looking at one of my best friends "my mom didn't tell me."

"Well you haven't really been on speaking terms with your mother," she pointed out.

"Yeah, I know but still," Caroline sighed again, rubbing her eyes and getting up.

"Where are you going?" She heard Elena from behind her.

"For a walk."

* * *

The West wing was used for housing (kind of like dorms), and had three floors. The first floor was for seventh and eighth graders, the second floor was for freshmen, sophomores and juniors. The third floor was left respectfully for the seniors.

Caroline had never been on the senior floor. It was like an unspoken rule amongst the students- you don't skip floors.

The rooms here were bigger, the views were better, and the hallways smelled slightly less old than the other hallways.

So, because she had never been on this floor, Caroline didn't know what secret passages it had. The only reason she knew the passage she had used to get from the grand staircase to the alcove on the third floor was because that passage also lead to the supply closet on the second floor. She had been passing by that spiraling staircase for three years, only guessing where it lead to (her guess had been right).

But the alcove was a passage exit (there was no way to get into the passage through the alcove, unless the door was already open).

The hallways were fairly empty now, only one or two girls would pass by every so often, so Caroline was left alone. She looked around for loose stones, strange dust patterns, anything that would lead her to a passage.

She reached the end of the hallway where there was a nook. Inside the nook was a cushioned built-in seat and a window looking out toward the grounds. She sat down on the seat and set her back against the wall. From where she was, she could see the combat grounds.

Caroline remembered the first time she had been there, as a seventh grader. Mr. Fell introduced himself and then asked if anyone knew the Warshaw hold. When no one said anything, Caroline stepped forward and he asked that she demonstrate it to the class, which she did.

Everyone was impressed, except for Mr. Fell. He knew that Caroline was the headmistress's daughter, therefore, Bill Forbes's daughter, and that was explanation enough.

When she introduced myself to the class as Caroline Forbes, no one was surprised anymore (because the Forbes family were sort of legends in the spy world).

Caroline smiled at the memory and looked away from the window, getting up from the seat. She stopped halfway through the motion though because her fingers slid across the side of the seat and she recognized the tell tale texture of the Peirce family seal.

She bent down in front of the seat and sure enough, worked into the wood of the seat there was a small family seal. She looked around to make sure that no one was looking and then pushed the seal.

She heard the faint sound of a latch opening and she pushed the top of the seat up. There was a stone staircase there, and Caroline stepped in and closed the door behind her.

The staircase was narrow and it felt like the walls were closing in on her.

She counted 39 steps before she reached the bottom and then looked around, surprised that it wasn't dark. There were small windows near the ceiling of the passage, letting the light from outside shine through to provide some visibility.

This passage was without a doubt a one exit passage. It was so narrow, it had to be.

Caroline continued walking, letting the twists and turns take her where they wanted.

There was another set of steps and she climbed them carefully watching out for loose stones. When she got to the landing there was an alcove on her right. She stepped in and looked around, but there was nothing inside. She looked at the stones, looking for one that would be at her eye level.

One caught her eye and she looked closer, finding that it had the Peirce seal on it. She pressed it, but nothing happened. She took a new approach and tried pushing it aside. It slid smoothly into the rock next to it, which she guessed was hollow.

"So everything is on schedule?"

"Yes, we are just putting some finishing touches on the alterations so we should be done by the end of the week."

"Perfect."

The conversation floated up and Caroline caught every second of it. She quickly realized that she was looking into my mother's office from above. She could see the top of her head and the top of Mr. Saltzman's head as they made conversation.

Liz opened a file in front of her and flipped some papers. As she examined them, she continued talking.

"When will they be arriving?" She asked.

"I'm not sure. Right now the exact date is pending," Alaric said and her mother nodded.

Silence filled the room then and Caroline watched as my mom looked through the file once again, focusing on one sheet of paper.

"Do you think we're doing the right thing?" She asked

"Liz, they need our help," Alaric responded.

"I know but," She paused. "Is it right for us?" Another few seconds of silence filled the room before Alaric answered.

"I don't know."

Caroline slid the rock back into place and continued through the passage, vowing to never, ever, go into that alcove again.

* * *

Turns out that the passage lead to the tea room where most of the Culture and Assimilations classes would be taking place that year.

Caroline walked through the room, noticing how it looked much more different when the silk curtains were drawn and there wasn't any sunlight coming into the room.

The tea room was in the South wing (more like the south building since it wasn't attached to the actual manor). So when she exited the south wing, Caroline had a two minute walk across the campus to get back to the main building.

When she reached the main building, Caroline made her way to her mother's office, making sure to walk extra slow. Her internal clock told her that it was almost seven, the time at which she had to be knocking on her mother's door.

As she rounded the corner, the door to her mother's office opened and Alaric stepped out. The sudden urge to hide overcame her and she quickly stepped back around the corner.

"We'll continue talking about White Oak some other time," she heard her mother's voice and Alaric's footsteps coming closer.

Caroline stepped around the corner again and made it seem like she was just coming and not that she had been eavesdropping.

"Good afternoon, Caroline," Alaric said with a small smile.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Saltzman," she said, returning the smile and walking past him toward her mother's office. She stood at the door, her palms flat against the wood.

"Come in," Liz said and gestured toward the inside of her office and Caroline walked through the threshold, trying to ignore how painfully formal that had been.

Things hadn't exactly been easy between Liz and her since her father's disappearance. Since both of Caroline's parents were usually away on missions, she was used to not getting to see them as often as normal kids would. But when they were home, she always spent most of her time with her dad.

When her dad went missing six years before, her mother was very distant and would take every mission that crossed her path- some were quick, others took more time. At around the time when Caroline started going to the academy, she also took the job as headmistress in an effort to strengthen their relationship.

It worked- to an extent. They had dinner every Sunday night and they saw each other almost everyday.

But there was a rift between them that neither of them knew how to mend, and the incident with Tyler only made it harder.

"Did you settle in alright?" She asked from the small kitchen in the back of her office as she removed a packet of microwavable quesadillas from the microwave.

"Yeah," Caroline said, sitting down on the couch. It was quiet again and she looked around the room aimlessly. Her eyes landed on the stone wall to her right, the wall she had been standing behind only minutes ago.

"How are Elena and Kat?" Her mother asked as she came into view and sat down next to her, handing her a paper plate with two quesadillas on it.

Liz had never been the best cook (Caroline's dad or the maid were always in charge of feeding her). It turns out, not even microwavable food was safe from her. But after about five years of Sunday dinner nights, Caroline was immune to the possible toxins her food carried.

So when she took a bite of the quesadilla and tasted the undercooked, preserved bread and cheese, it wasn't hard to smile and swallow. Liz smiled too and took a bite out of one of her own.

After she finished one quesadilla, Caroline decided to speak.

"So, they sealed off the East wing." She couldn't tell if her mother had gulped or swallowed, but she waited a few seconds before answering.

"Yeah, there was a leak from the labs," she said, taking a bite of her second quesadilla. Caroline nodded and soon they had both finished their meal. Liz got up and threw away the plates and then came back and sat down.

"So are you excited for tomorrow?" She asked, putting what looked like a genuine smile on her face.

"Yeah, I mean it's my first day of Senior year!" Caroline said, genuinely excited before she had a chance to catch myself- she was supposed to be mad at her.

"Yes that is something to be excited about," Liz said, laughing a bit under her breath before she got serious "Caroline?"

"Hm?" Caroline said, taken off guard by her change in tone.

"I want this year to be a fresh start for us."

"What do you mean?"

"Well," Liz fidgeted, something Caroline had only seen her do a handful of times. "I know things haven't been easy since your father...left. But I think that after recent occurrences, we should really try to have a stronger relationship," She finished.

Caroline looked at her, watching for any signs that could lead to an ulterior motive. Her fidgeting was unusual, but probably because she was genuinely nervous. If she had been lying or hiding something, she wouldn't have fidgeted because seasoned operatives such as herself don't fidget. Her pupils stayed the same size, she kept her gaze on her, her heartbeat didn't jump. She was either as good as Caroline thought she was, or she was serious.

Caroline smiled and pulled her in for a hug.

"That sounds really great, mom," she said and meant it. She really did.

Liz hugged her back and they chatted a little more before Caroline stood to leave. But as Caroline was standing at the door, about to push it open and call back her goodbye, she couldn't help but make sure.

"Hey mom?" She said and turned to face her. Liz was at her desk, picking up papers and putting away files.

"Yes, honey?" She said with a smile.

"How exactly did the Eastern wing get contaminated with a leak from the labs?" Caroline asked.

"The ventilation shafts- the leak put out some toxic fumes and it spread like wildfire," she responded without missing a beat.

"Oh, they should make sure it hasn't spread," Caroline said and she nodded. "Well, night," She said with a smile.

"Night," Liz said, returning the smile.

Caroline walked out into the hallway, the smile slipping from her features before the door closed because there were no ventilation shafts that ran from the labs to the Eastern wing.

* * *

**How was it?**

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**~M**


	2. The Mall

**Soundtrack:**

**_Spies_ - Coldplay**

* * *

Chapter 2: The Mall

"So what could White Oak be?" Elena asked as she popped open her laptop.

"Is it a mission? Maybe they were discussing a mission," Kat offered.

Caroline and Bonnie looked at each other, going through a quick mental checklist of every textbook (and off record) operation they had studied.

"No," they said in unison.

"Could it be a place? Maybe it's a home for retired CIA agents," Kat shrugged, casually leaning against the wall, but then quickly pushing herself off and doing her best to dust off the back of her shirt.

The four girls were in the senior common room- or rather, behind a bookshelf in the senior common room. Every other girl on the senior floor was probably enjoying the last homework free night they would get in a very long time. Caroline had heard rumors of a Vampire Diaries marathon being hosted in Anna's room.

"Haha, focus Kat," Elena said.

"I was offering a valid idea, Elena," the other brunette snapped back.

"Alright so it's not an operation, it's not a retirement home for CIA agents," Bonnie listed, holding up a finger for each option.

"It is a type of tree, though," Elena said from where she sat. "According to the Mystic Falls Historical Society, the Wikery Bridge, due for reconstruction in a couple of months, is made out of white oak wood, gathered from a single white oak tree that once stood at the center of town."

"I highly doubt they were talking about a tree Elena," Kat interjected smugly.

"I was offering a valid idea, Katerina," Elena spat back, narrowing her eyes.

"Maybe it's not an it, but a who," Bonnie said, serving as a buffer once again. "I mean, it sounded like they were talking about someone, right, Care?"

Caroline thought back to the conversation she had heard between her mother and Mr. Saltzman hours before.

_"When will they be arriving?" She asked._

_"I'm not sure. Right now the exact date is pending," Alaric said and her mother nodded._

_Silence filled the room then and Caroline watched as my mom looked through the file once again, focusing on one sheet of paper._

_"Do you think we're doing the right thing?" She asked_

_"Liz, they need our help," Alaric responded._

_"I know but," She paused. "Is it right for us?" Another few seconds of silence filled the room before Alaric answered._

_"I don't know."_

"Yeah they sounded like they were talking about someone- or rather, a group of people." Caroline nodded as she spoke, mentally going over the conversation a couple of times.

"So it's not a thing, it's like a group?" Elena confirmed.

"Maybe," Caroline said with a shrug. She knew that would drive Elena crazy because she liked everything to be one-hundred percent certain with cross references.

But Caroline couldn't give a concrete answer. They were going off fragments of a conversation and assumptions.

"Convention centers, plantations, vineyards- I really don't see anything out of the ordinary here," Elena said. Her eyes were flickering around the screen, surely memorizing all of the information she was reading. "I could hack into a more private database, but that would take some time."

"Elena," Caroline started.

"What? We have nothing to go off of. If it's so covert, we could probably find it in a more covert database."

"Exactly, and if they catch you snooping around they'll know we're looking, and we shouldn't be." Caroline stood up, dusting off her jeans. "Maybe we should just leave it alone," she said.

"Leave it alone? Whatever or whoever white oak is has caused some major remodeling here," Bonnie said. "And when was the last time Mystic falls Academy remodeled?" The question was rhetorical because Bonnie knew that Caroline knew the answer by heart. (1976, when they added a new sublevel to the Covert Operations sector).

"Whatever or whoever white oak is also caused my mother to look me in the eyes and lie to my face," Caroline spat back.

Last year, she would have jumped at the chance to find out exactly what white oak was, using any means necessary. But after Tyler and all the things she had to go through over the summer, she learned that some things are better left alone. That when missions are over, they are documented, filed and put away in a box where no one would remember them, except for those who were there, the operatives carrying out said mission.

"Care," Bonnie started.

"No, Bon. Not this one," Caroline said with such finality in her voice that Elena shut her laptop, Kat helped her up from the ground, and they all left the secret room behind the bookshelf without another word.

* * *

"Alright, let me see your walks!" Madame Sommers said as she arrived to class.

Madame Sommers, in her late twenties, had red hair and pale skin. Her hair was pulled back into an elegant updo that left her long neck exposed. She wore a dressy white blouse and a pale pink pencil skirt, a pair of nude heels pulled the look together. She was always impeccably dressed, always smelled like cherry blossoms, and was always on time.

So when she stepped up to the door of the Southern wing tea room, a pair of keys jingling in her hand, Caroline turned to her friends with a frown- the most punctual teacher in the entire academy was thirty-two seconds late.

They all just shrugged, shaking the detail off.

Madame Sommers finally managed to push the doors open. All the girls that had been waiting outside filed into one straight line in front of the door, awaiting orders.

"And, go!" Madame Sommers clapped twice and the girl at the front of the line began the procession.

Caroline swayed her hips slightly, placing one foot in front of the other as she walked. She kept her shoulders back and her chin up, relaxing her features into one of graceful pleasantry.

Culture and Assimilation had always had always been one of her favorite classes, and one she excelled at with hardly any effort. She was good at grace and gala, good a blending into a crowd.

As she walked into the room, she found an empty seat and sat down. Bonnie, Kat and Elena followed soon after.

She crossed her ankles and placed her folded hands on her lap, just like the other twenty three girls in the room.

"Very good, very good. I see you've all managed to maintain some level of poise after your summer break." She set her keys and purse down on her desk and began walking around the room, inspecting everyone's posture as she walked.

"Now, I would like to go over some basic material that will set most of the groundwork for the rest of the year," she paused. "April, honey, don't forget to breathe," she said and Caroline heard a loud exhale coming from the table where she had stopped.

"Anyways, a gala requires one to…" Madame Sommers started and Caroline tuned out. She knew what the attire, etiquette, and proper mannerism was when attending a gala.

What she didn't know was what the hell white oak was. Sure she had told Bonnie, Kat and Elena to leave it alone, but that didn't mean she couldn't think about it. It was hard not to think about it.

A knock on the door pulled her from her thoughts.

"Yes, Mr. Saltzman?" Madame Sommers said and Caroline turned to look at the man standing at the door. It was a little hard to look at him, knowing that he knew something she didn't, knowing that he was keeping a secret.

Spies always kept secrets, Caroline knew that. But for some reason, knowing exactly what secret they were keeping changed the situation.

"Sorry to interrupt, Jenna, but-" He looked away from Madame Sommers to point at the twelve girls in the class who were on the CoveOps track.

"Pop quiz."

* * *

Caroline pulled her dark blue cardigan over her white blouse as she bounded down the stairs and met the rest of the class in the front parlor. She unconsciously looked toward the East wing, which was of course still locked up. She shook her head to rid herself of those thoughts, and focused on the task at hand.

She hadn't exactly slept the night before. She hadn't really eaten breakfast that morning. It was probably the worst time for a CoveOps assignment.

But when she reached the first floor landing, the entrance's door opened. Everyone looked up to see Mr. Saltzman, standing with his hands behind his back, something large emerging from the field behind him.

"Mr. Saltzman?" Megan asked. "What's that?" She pointed at the large black machine appearing behind him.

There was what looked like a helicopter emerging from what looked like an opening at the center of the field. Twin blades rose steadily from the hole in the ground, the sunlight bounced off the sleek black body of the aircraft.

Mr. Saltzman casually looked over his shoulder and then turned back to look at the wide eyed girls.

"That," he pointed over his shoulder. "Is our ride."

When Caroline was five, her mother had taken her to the Mystic Falls Academy for the first time. She's had thought it was the biggest building in the world. But as the helicopter lifted off and Caroline looked out the window, the school started to look smaller and smaller.

They flew low over the woods, almost touching the tops of the highest pines. Caroline thought about everything she had learned in the past five years at the academy- chemistry, biology, even calligraphy. But helicopters were totally new territory. Would there be jumping? Repelling? (Hello, their uniforms had skirts!)

On top of all her internal conflict, it didn't help that Alaric came out of the front cabin holding twelve blindfolds in his hand.

"I'm afraid this isn't a sightseeing tour," Mr Saltzman said as he cinched the bands over each girls' eyes. "If I were you, I'd get comfortable. We're going to be up here for a while."

It turns out that "a while" was exactly forty seven minutes and forty two seconds, because that was how long it was until Caroline felt the helicopter's quick descent. During this time, Mr. Saltzman had warned "No peeking, Ms. Young" twice but other than that and Kat's snoring, there wasn't a single sound on their mysterious ride.

Caroline had no idea how fast they had been going, or in what direction. All Caroline knew was that they had been in the air for almost forty-eight minutes and she really had to go to the bathroom.

The helicopter touched down, the doors slid open and someone guided Caroline out onto concrete and into a waiting van. Soon they were off again, destination still unknown.

Caroline could smell Kat's expensive, limited edition Gucci perfume, and drew some comfort from the familiar scent.

"Blindfolds off," Mr. Saltzman said.

Caroline reached back and pulled at the knot that kept the black band secured around her eyes. She squinted, trying to adjust to the light, the situation, and most of all, the sight of eleven other teenage girls with very questionable hair.

The van was filled with static electricity. Elena's usually pin straight hair was standing on all ends and sticking out in every direction. But Caroline didn't look at Kat's unruly curls or Bonnie trying to fix her fringe, she was more interested in the state of the art equipment that lined the windowless walls. Gadgets two generations better than anything they had ever had at their fingertips. Caroline didn't need Alaric Saltzman to say "Today we are playing with the pros, ladies," to know it was true.

Alaric turned to Elena. "Counter surveillance has two functions, Ms. Gilbert. Name them."

"Detect and evade surveillance procedures," Elena said automatically, reciting a line straight out of page twenty-nine of A Covert Operative's Guide to Surveillance Countermeasures.

"That's right," he said. He then turned his attention to the screens that filled the walls of the van. "It's a big world, ladies, but that doesn't make it easier to hide. Remember that as a Covert Operative, you have to be looking over your shoulder for the rest lives."

It was a crude way to put it, but true none the less.

"Counter surveillance isn't something you learn from a book- it isn't about theory. It's about the prickly feeling on the back of your neck, the voice in your head telling you something is not right." The van stopped.

"Last year, some of you proved that you are pretty good at not being seen when you don't want to be." He paused, his gaze resting on Caroline. "Today you go from being tailers, to tailees. And ladies- this is much harder."

There was a moment of silence while everyone let his words sink in, knowing that there was more to come.

"Split up into teams of two, and remember I don't know exactly how many operative are out there waiting today, but if they are good-and you should assume they are very, very good- then it will take every trick you know, every ounce of luck you can muster to identify them and make it to this location before five o'clock." He pulled an envelope from his jacket pocket and placed it in Elena's hands.

He eased toward the back doors of the van. "Oh, and ladies- surveillance might help you do your job, but counter surveillance is what keeps you alive." With that last shred of wisdom, the doors swung open, bright light streaming inside. Every girl in the van shielded their eyes and by the time they heard the clank of the heavy metal doors, Alaric was gone.

Twelve pairs of eyes shifted back and forth before Bonnie spoke up.

"Do it, Care," she said.

Caroline got up and made her way to the back of the van, opening one of the doors enough so that she could see outside. "It's a mall," she said.

"Cool," Kat said from her spot in the van. Caroline pulled away from the door, looking at the rest of the girls.

"Not that kind of mall," she said, throwing the door open.

They crawled, one by one, out of the back of the van and stood staring at the grassy promenade that ran between the Washington Monument and the United States Capitol, the heart of Washington, D.C.

A man in a jogging suit stretched his hamstring on a park bench before taking off on a jog. A long line of women wearing matching shirts that read "Louiseville Ladies take D.C." milled in front of a metro stop.

Caroline took it all in, letting a slow smile settle on her lips. She shook her head. "Mr. Saltzman, you are good," she muttered.

Alaric had always said that surveillance was all about home court advantage, and that the more limited the location's access to the public, the easier it would be to see someone who didn't belong.

But that day, Alaric Saltzman had brought them to the place where tourists converge from all over the world, a place home to everyone from panhandlers to politicians.

"We're being watched," Megan said.

"By friends of Mr. Saltzman," April added.

"And they could be," Anna started.

"Anyone," Kat finished for her.

Elena began to tear open the envelope Alaric had given her.

"What does it say?" Bonnie asked.

Elena turned the folded brochure around and pointed at the picture of a pair of tiny red slippers, a message scrawled across it.

_There's no place like home._

_5:00_

Caroline looked over at the National Museum of American History. It didn't look that far away. But as an operative, she knew that getting to the slipper exhibit, tail free and on time, would not be easy.

"Flip," Kat said about an hour later. Caroline nodded and the two girls turned on their heels and started back in the opposite direction.

The guy in the red baseball cap that had been following them since the National Gallery of Art kept walking as if he didn't care that the two girls in front of him had just done a total about face. And maybe he didn't care, or maybe another operative from his team had just rotated into position.

There was no way to know. So they kept walking.

"We could be clear," Kat said, sounding wishful.

"Or there might be a team of twenty CIA agents out here, and we're just not good enough to see them," Caroline said.

She wasn't looking at her, but she could just feel Katerina rolling her eyes.

"Yeah," Kat said. "There's that, too."

Caroline had always prided herself at being good at blending into the shadows, being a pavement artist. Seeing the shadows, it turns out, was much easier said than done.

"I can't believe I haven't seen anyone," Caroline said, frustrated.

"Look on the bright side, Care," Kat said, her Bulgarian accent as thick as ever. She sat down on a bench, crossing her legs and throwing her arms over the back.

To anyone passing by, she probably looked rather beautiful and foreign, and nothing like an operative memorizing everyone's face within a thirty foot radius.

"We could be in ancient languages right now," she said, which was a very good point. "We could be taking hits with Fell," she listed off. "And here, the view is infinitely better." She smirked.

Caroline sat down, pulling off her cardigan and tying it around her waist, crossing her legs and swinging them slightly. She was about to say something when she caught sight of the two boys sitting on a bench thirty feet away from them. Suddenly, Kat's statement made so much more sense.

"Dibs on the one with the slacks."

"Kat," Caroline started.

"Come on," she said, getting ready to stand up. She fluffed her curls slightly. "Let's go talk to them."

"Kat, we have a mission," Caroline said, glancing at the two guys on the bench. At that exact moment, the one wearing a dark Henley looked over, catching her eye. She met his gaze, unable to look away for what felt like forever but was only a couple of seconds.

She blinked quickly, shaking her head slightly and turning back to her friend who had a small, knowing smile on her lips.

"It's called multitasking, Care."

"No, Kat. Talking to civilian boys during a CoveOps exercise is a bad idea. Trust me," she pointed at herself. "I would know."

"You aren't over it, are you?" Kat said, tilting her head.

"Over what?"

"Tyler." She said, raising her perfectly manicured eyebrows. Caroline had never been on the receiving end of Katerina's attitude, but getting a glimpse of it just proved her point that it wasn't a very side good to be on.

"Of course I'm over him," Caroline said, rolling her eyes. She stood up, but Kat stayed on the bench, looking at her skeptically.

"Seriously, Kat!" She scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest and looking away annoyed.

At that moment, Katerina Petrova could have chosen to argue the point some more. But at that exact moment, Katerina and Caroline's eyes both landed on a women in a pinstriped suit, twenty feet away from them, talking on the phone. There was nothing unusual about her- not her hair, not her face. Nothing except for the fact that fifteen minutes before, she had been wearing a Washington D.C. sweatshirt and pushing a baby stroller.

"Kat," Caroline said as calmly as possible.

"Yeah, I see her," she replied.

The thing about detecting and losing a tail that every operative had to keep in mind- you need to cover half a city. To do it right, you'd have to climb in and out of cabs, weave in between crowds, squeeze into tight spaces. You'd take all day.

But we didn't have all day.

So that's why Caroline and Katerina tried their best to play off the fact that they had just detected a tail, and pretended as though they had just forgotten something and began walking into the nearest museum, only to exit it no more than five minutes later.

They spent the next hour going in and out of museums, up escalators, down elevators, stalling at points to tie their shoes (even though they were already tied).

They cleared corners, alternated their pace, made abrupt stops and nonsensical turns- everything they had ever learned.

Seconds turned to minutes and minutes turned to another hour- time was running out.

"Elena?" Caroline said through their comms unit, as a last resort. "How are you and Bonnie?" Silence. "Anna? Megan? April? Is anyone there?"

Caroline looked at Kat next to her, both girls sharing a worried glance. They both began to cut through the mall, hoping that luck was on their side and that there would be no one on their tail.

"Forty-two minutes," Caroline said, but she didn't need to. Katerina already knew.

They passed by a glass door that opened just in time for Caroline to catch a glimpse of the man walking too fast behind them.

A crowd of girls filled the sidewalk in front of them and started down the steep escalator to the Metro station below. Caroline and Kat didn't hesitate and jogged the short distance between them and the crowd, inserting themselves smoothly.

Most of the girls wore white blouses like Caroline and Kat, so they blended in well.

"I love that scarf!" Caroline said to the other blonde next to her, because, while most girls were on to the whole strangers-with-candy thing, the strangers-with-compliments strategy was still remarkably effective.

"Thanks!" The girl said with a bright smile before turning back to her friend. "Are they back there?"

Her friend, who had raven-black hair, turned and looked up the escalator.

"They are so following us!" She squealed.

Caroline and Katerina both stood stock still, about to check their tail when the blonde girl leaned in.

"Those two hot guys have totally been checking us out," she said excitedly.

"Oh, really?" Kat said and both she and Caroline took that as an opportunity to look behind them. Sure enough, the red-baseball-cap guy from before was back, this time dressed as a navy lieutenant. And then a few steps behind him were the two guys from the bench.

Caroline and Katerina turned around again and smiled at the two girls. When they turned to talk to one another again, Caroline and Kat looked at each other, trading glances because the two girls didn't know how lucky they were.

Cute boys were on their tail, and maybe they thought they were being covert and cool, but all that really mattered was that once they got home they would have a story to tell. And it wouldn't be classified.

The escalator then entered the cavernous room, and the train was already in the station.

"Let's run and get it!" Kat screamed, her accent changing from Bulgarian to American in record time.

Everyone was off, racing to the bottom of the escalator, and dashing to the end of the train. Girls piled inside and red-baseball-cap-slash-navy-lieutenant guy jumped forward, making it onto the last car just as the train began to pull out of the station and away from where Caroline and Kat stood under the escalator.

Caroline watched as the man on the train pressed himself against the glass as the train disappeared into the tunnel.

She smiled at Kat who smiled back.

They were clear.

But as any good operative knows, the conditions out on the field shift in the blink of an eye.

Overconfidence is a spy's worst enemy, so to be sure, Caroline and Kat split up to leave the Metro station. Caroline stayed in the shadows and watched as Katerina ascended the escalator, and then waited long enough to be certain that no one was following her. Then she headed for the elevators, her internal clock telling her that there were only twenty minutes left.

As she reached to press the button, another hand beat her to it.

"Hello," the boy from the park bench- the one with the Henley- said. Caroline unconsciously looked him over, committing his features to memory.

He had full raspberry lips and sandy curls, blue eyes and an accent that should be made illegal in the United States.

"Hi," Caroline replied and offered a tight lipped smile. She looked back at the elevator doors and pressed the button a couple more times, hoping that would bring the elevator down quicker.

A couple of seconds later, the metal doors slid open and Caroline stepped inside, the boy following close behind her and Caroline rolled her eyes- without him looking, of course- because she had kind of been hoping that he wouldn't get on, which in hindsight was a ridiculous notion.

And the Metro station was forever and a day underground, so the ride up would be forever and a day long.

The doors slid closed and Caroline clasped her hands in front of her. She watched from the corner of her eyes as Henley boy leaned against the wall and crossed his ankles, crossing his arms over his chest as well.

"So," he started. "The Mystic Falls Academy," he said, pointing at the emblem on Caroline's blouse.

She looked down at it. "Yeah," she responded, not really encouraging small talk but the guy was persistent.

"Never heard of it," he said.

"Small town," Caroline offered simply.

She could hear the whirling of the gears as the elevator continued to ascend, but she felt like it was going at snail's pace. The seconds began to slow and Caroline began to wonder exactly what would happen if she didn't make it to the rendezvous on time.

What if everyone was already there and she was the only one missing?

"Do you need to be somewhere, love?" His voice drew her back to the present and she looked at him, slightly taken aback by the question and the term of endearment.

"Huh?"

"You're fidgeting a lot," he said, glancing down at her hands which she had been wringing and relaxing since they had stepped into the elevator.

"Sorry, I have low blood pressure," she said, quirking her lips into a small apologetic smile.

"Would you like me to get you something when we get to the top?"

"Oh, um," she said flattered by the offer. Maybe she would have taken him up on it- if she was a different girl, in that elevator for a different reason.

But she was Caroline Forbes, daughter of Elizabeth and William Forbes, student at the Mystic Falls Academy for Exceptional Young Women, a senior CoveOps student who was currently in the middle of an assignment.

So that's why she said "No, that's okay. Thanks, though."

"Okay," he said, nodding once. "So where are you going?"

Damn it, Caroling thought. She thought she had evaded that question.

"Just to the ruby slipper exhibit," she shrugged casually. "I have to be there in twenty minutes or else my teacher will kill me." Not literally, she hoped.

"How do you know?"

Caroline frowned, answering his obscure question slower than she had answered the others. "Because he said to meet him at the slipper exhibit…" she trailed off.

The boy smirked, closing his eyes while he shook his head.

"No, I meant how do you know you have to be there in twenty minutes? You aren't wearing a watch."

"Oh," Caroline said, unconsciously rubbing her left wrist. "My friend just told me," she said, the lie slipping easily from her lips.

"Oh," he said.

"Yeah," Caroline replied, nodding her head and pursing her lips.

The elevator stopped and the doors slid open and Caroline threw a smile back at the stranger before stepping out.

Because that was all he really was- a stranger. A boy she met in D.C. and he would stay in D.C. and she would get to the slipper exhibit, click her heels and go back home to the Academy.

But as she took a couple of steps forward, she heard his steps right behind her.

"What are you doing?" She said, spinning on her heel and facing the boy behind her.

"I thought we were going to meet your teacher at the Wonderful World of Oz," he added the last part with a smirk.

_"We?"_

"Sure, I'm going with you."

"No, you're not."

"Look," he started, a hint of confidence in his tone. "It's dark, you're by yourself, and you've only got fifteen minutes to meet your teacher." He was only off by about a minute and a half.

"And I just happen to be a nice young man willing to get you there on time." His hands were clasped behind his back and he leaned forward slightly, not enough to make Caroline feel uncomfortable, but enough to give her a whiff of his cologne.

He smelled good.

"Fine," Caroline said finally, turning on her heel again and beginning to walk.

She made about seven different excuses in her head as to why she had agreed, the ones that most made sense to her being; A) Arguing with him would have wasted more time than just agreeing with him, and B) He was cover.

No tail would expect her to be with a boy. At least, she hoped they didn't.

"You're quick," he said about a minute later. His long strides matched hers and he had no trouble keeping up, but she knew what he meant. She didn't answer.

"So, do you have a name, sweetheart?"

"Sure, lots of 'em," Caroline answered without hesitation. She thought of all the covers she had had in her lie. She thought about how she had been Candice Accola for almost a year.

She spared a glance at the boy when she heard him chuckle, another smirk spread across his lips.

He probably thought she was being cute and flirty. She wasn't.

She was hungry, thirsty, tired and cold. Her feet were probably swollen from all the walking (boating shoes are not meant for counter surveillance) and she would probably catch a cold if she didn't do something about it soon.

All she wanted to do was go home, not have to put up with a boy that thought she was a normal teenage girly-girl in need of assistance.

"Do you have a boyfriend?" He asked.

Caroline rolled her eyes and scoffed, stopping abruptly.

"Look, thanks for the chivalry and all, but I kind of have to get going," she said, pointing over her shoulder to where the Museum of American History was, only twenty yards away. "It's right over there and there's a guard over there."

"What?" He nodded toward the officer standing on a street corner. "You think that guy could do a better job of protecting you than I can?" He sounded offended.

"No, I think that if you don't leave me alone, I can yell and that cop will come over and arrest you."

The boy looked back at Caroline, his eyes capturing hers like they had earlier that afternoon as they both sat on park benches, thirty feet away from each other.

He smirked, putting his hands up in surrender and taking a step back. He took a couple more steps back and was turning to leave.

Caroline suddenly felt a little guilty because, well, he had been a gentleman. He had tried to be her night in shining armor, but she wasn't the kind of girl that needed saving.

"Hey," she called out and he turned to look back at her. "Thanks anyway."

His lips turned up and he nodded, then turned and began walking away again.

Caroline wasted no time as she too turned and sped to the building behind her.

She pushed open the doors and quickly slipped into the nearest hallway, stopping and waiting about ninety seconds to make sure no one had followed her. She looked around the corner but there was no one in sight.

Caroline made her way out of the hallway and picked up a visitor's brochure, quickly skimming it and locating the place where the slippers exhibit would be.

She disposed of the brochure in a nearby wastebasket, looking behind her one last time before taking off into a sprint.

She took the stairs, two at a time, until she arrived at the far end of the floor where the ruby red slippers were displayed. Her internal clock struck five as she walked toward the case where the tiny slippers were held.

There was no sign of Alaric or any other one of her classmates.

"You're four seconds late," Alaric's voice sounded from behind her. Caroline spun around.

"But I'm alone."

"No, Ms. Forbes. You are not."

Caroline frowned and watched as someone emerged from the shadows behind Mr. Saltzman.

He looked at her.

He smirked.

And said, "Hello again, love."

* * *

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	3. There Are Others

Chapter 3: There Are Others

Caroline looked at the boy from the bench, from the elevator, her mind going a mile per minute. This isn't happening, this isn't happening…

"Nice work, Klaus," Mr. Saltzman said and Klaus winked at Caroline. She narrowed her eyes at him, not one bit amused.

Although she was doing a pretty good job at maintaining a cool exterior, she was going over every event she had gone through in the last twelve hours. How could she have been so careless, so sloppy? Klaus had been there, watching her and Kat as they sat on the park bench, he had been there when they were going down the escalator, and she had practically told him everything he needed to know to make sure she didn't achieve her mission objectives.

He was still smirking, and she was still fuming.

Alaric seemed to notice the tension and cleared his throat. "The van will be at the back entrance. I'll see you in five minutes." Then he disappeared.

"Your mission was what, exactly?" Caroline said as soon as Alaric was out of the room, crossing her arms over her chest. "To stop me from completing my mission?"

There was a glint in his eyes as he stepped further out of the shadows, his hands in his pockets. "Something like that."

Caroline raised her eyebrows and he seemed to take the hint that she wasn't going to accept anymore vague answers.

"I thought I could just make you late," he said. Caroline thought back to him offering to get her something to eat, how he would try to delay her with conversation. "I didn't think you'd actually tell me where you were going and walk me halfway there."

Caroline huffed. She thought he had been chivalrous, and cute and flirting. But he wasn't, it was all part of his cover.

Just then, a group of tourists came into the shoe exhibit, cameras flashing as they saw the slippers. Caroline looked back at Klaus, who was staring at her, still smirking, but there was something in his eyes that she couldn't exactly make out.

She was jostled to the side as someone tried to get closer to the glass case that held the slippers. She lost her footing slightly, and when she was able to regain her balance, Klaus was gone.

She shook her head and made her way through the crowd, slipping out of the room and heading toward the back of the museum.

She reached the van and sat down, not looking around at any of the other girls.

They drove for about twenty minutes before the van stopped and the doors swung open. They all got out and onto the helicopter, climbing in and fastening their seat belts. This time, they didn't have to wear blindfolds.

That's when Caroline finally looked up and took in the scene of eleven other girls who had not completed their mission. And she had to hold in her laughter.

In an effort to make themselves less tailable, Megan and April had traded their school uniforms for jumpsuits from the National Park Service maintenance staff.

Anna had fallen down the stairs at the National Gallery, so she had to sit with her ice-packed ankle propped on the seat next to her.

Elena and Bonnie, both with towels around their shoulders, huddled together. Apparently they had fallen into the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.

Even Kat had picked up a tail leaving the Metro station and wasn't able to make it to the museum on time.

So that's why the senior CoveOps class from the Mystic Falls Academy for Exceptional Young Women sat in silence, watching as the Washington Monument faded into the dark night while the helicopter rose, carrying them home.

Caroline played with her ring as she thought- about Klaus.

He wasn't much older than her- maybe even her same age. And he was trained. Like her.

That begged the question- was the Mystic Falls Academy the only school for young spies in the world? How many more were there? And the question that bothered Caroline the most- were they better?

Anna had been talking about an all-boys spy school for years. But Anna was the school gossip, and people had learned to tune her out most of the time.

Caroline felt the helicopter touch down and watched as the grass below them swayed in the night under the force of the turbulence.

Mr. Saltzman reached for the door but paused and looked back at each and every one of them.

"Today I asked you to do something that maybe fifty people in the world can do," he said. Caroline looked down as he added the last part, still a little embarrassed. "By the end of the year, there had better be sixty-two."

* * *

Caroline pulled on a pair of pajama pants and a tank top, grabbing her towel and turning off the light as she left the bathroom. She sat on her bed, brushing out the knots in her wet hair as she looked around at her roommates.

Elena laying in bed, her laptop on her knees, Bonnie was sitting in what looked like a rather uncomfortable position, immersed in a book, and Kat was sitting at her desk, painting her nails a deep shade of red.

They all seemed so focused that Caroline didn't expect them to look up when she spoke.

"I know what White Oak is," she said, and all their heads snapped up at the same time.

Of course they would be paying attention, they were spies in training, practically real spies already.

"Well, what is it?" Kat said. She looked kind of funny with her hair in rollers but no one was going to tell her that.

"I think it's a school…for spies." Caroline said carefully, gauging their reactions.

"You mean like this school?" Elena asked and Caroline caught the "No duh" look that Katerina threw her.

"Well, not exactly. I think it's a school for boy spies." Bonnie put down her book and turned so that she was facing Caroline completely. Elena shut her laptop and sat up straight. Kat capped her nail polish and turned in her chair.

"Spill," Katerina said.

So Caroline did. She talked about Klaus and how he had been in the elevator at the Metro station, how he had walked her halfway to the museum before she shooed him off, and how he had appeared out of the shadows at the slipper exhibit.

"So was he as cute close up as he was thirty feet away?" Katerina asked, the look on her face telling them that it was a genuine question.

"He was…" Caroline trailed off. He was cute, actually more than cute, he was hot. "...okay," she finished lamely. Kat didn't say anything but a small knowing smile spread over her lips as she nodded.

"Wait, wait, wait," Bonnie said, holding up her hands. "How okay are we talking here? Like baby face cute okay or ruggedly handsome okay?"

Caroline looked at her in disbelief, but Kat was the one who answered. "Ruggedly handsome, definitely. And you should have seen his friend."

"He had a friend?" Bonnie said, her eyes wide.

"Okay, so," Elena started, interrupting the hormone-fest. "How do you know that White Oak is a school for male spies? Did Klaus or Mr. Saltzman tell you anything?"

Caroline shook her head. "I just feel it, you know. It's a hunch."

That night, Caroline didn't sleep again.

She looked over at her alarm clock, but it wasn't necessary because she already knew that it was 3:56 a.m. She sighed and sat up, slipping her feet into a pair of tennis shoes and carefully making her way to the door.

She walked through the corridor which would have been completely blacked out if it weren't for the moonlight coming in through the window at the far end. She walked down the steps that lead all the way to the first floor, not knowing exactly where she was going.

Well, that was a lie. She knew where she was going. She made a left as she got to the first floor and made her way over to the East wing.

The sound of steps on the stairs made her turn around quickly. A beam of light landed on her face and she covered her eyes, looking at the three figures that stood at the second floor landing.

"You didn't think we'd let you go without us, did you?" Elena said. She turned off the flashlight and Caroline's vision adjusted. She could see Bonnie smiling, her trusty lock picking kit in her hand.

So that was how Caroline ended up watching as Bonnie fiddled with the lock on the East wing's doors while Elena and Kat kept watch.

"Got it!" Bonnie said thirty seconds later, her own personal record. She turned the knob and pushed the door open. Caroline grabbed the flashlight and stepped through the doors first.

She moved the beam around the room, scanning everything in sight. The hallway looked the same, the classrooms even looked the same. When she reached the end of the hallway, she started up the stairs; Kat, Bonnie and Elena close behind.

There was something different about the second floor.

Caroling shone the light down the corridor, looking at what used to a a hallway but now just looked like one large…

"A common room?" Kat said from behind her.

They continued down the hallway slowly. All the classroom door were closed and Caroline heard Bonnie and Elena begin to wander around behind her, opening doors.

"Caroline?" She heard Bonnie call out behind her. "You should check this out."

But Caroline had her hand on a classroom doorknob. She turned it and pushed the door open, shining the light inside.

Instead of desks there were two beds, two desks, and two wardrobes. She walked out of the room and moved on to the next one- instead of a classroom there was a bathroom.

Caroline frowned as she walked out, meeting her three roommates in the hallway, all of them wearing a similar expression.

"They look like…" Elena started but trailed off. "Suites?" she said, her genius mind trying to wrap itself around such a simple fact.

The air smelled of saw dust and fresh paint as Bonnie said "You know what this means?"

There was only one thing it could mean.

"Boys," Kat said looking around. "Boys are coming to the academy."

"Yeah," Caroline said, unable to stop the smile from spreading over her lips. "And we're going to get a rematch."

* * *

It was a week after the CoveOps assignment that Caroline made her friends swear they would never speak of again. A week after Caroline, Bonnie, Katerina and Elena had gone into the East wing at four in the morning and confirmed their suspicions that White Oak may be a school for male spies in training.

A week where nothing had happened.

Caroline sat on her bed, tying her shoes. When she was done, she stood up and grabbed her bag, slinging it over her shoulder and making her way over to the door. She stopped, checking her appearance in the mirror that hung on the back of the door.

She had woken up early to curl her hair and had tied back her bangs, letting her curls cascade over her shoulders. Since the day was only mildly fresh, she had settled on a white long sleeve cotton blouse that bore the Mystic Falls Academy emblem on the left breast. She wore the uniform red plaid skirt and a pair of black boating shoes.

She hitched her bag further on her shoulder before pulling the door open, making her way to the dining room. She could smell the scrambled eggs and bacon as she bounded down the stairs.

When she reached the dining room she looked around, watching as the entire student body sat and talked over a well prepared meal (it was rumored that the Academy had a retired Iron Chef in the kitchen).

She went to the buffet table and grabbed a plate of scrambled eggs, bacon and toast before making her way over to the senior table.

The dining room consisted of seven long tables, one of which was reserved for the teachers and staff. The other six were for the seven through twelve graders, respectively.

Caroline sat down between Bonnie and Anna, slipping into conversation with Elena and Kat in no time.

She was reaching for an orange off the plate of fruits that had been placed at the center of the table when she saw her mother standing up at the teachers and staff table. That was usually the signal for everyone to quiet down, so about ten seconds later, the entire dining hall was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

"Excuse me, ladies, but I have an announcement to make," her mother's voice rang through the room, clear and strong.

The back doors swung open.

Forks dropped, heads turned, and Caroline caught Bonnie picking up April Young's jaw off the floor.

They all stared as a group of boys started coming down the center corridor- the space between the ninth grader's table and the tenth grader's table. The only ones who probably weren't surprised were Caroline, Bonnie, Elena and Katerina. But that didn't stop them from staring.

Boys were looking at them. Boys were walking towards them. Boys were in the Academy!

Caroline knew the day would come, she just didn't know when.

"The Mystic Falls Academy has a proud history…" Elizabeth started, but Caroline was sure no one was listening. "For more than a hundred years, this institution has remained secluded, but last week, some of your classmates were able to meet another set of exceptional students from another exceptional institution. Members of the Mystic Falls trustees, along with the board of directors from the White Oak Institute, have long thought that that our students would have a lot to learn from each other."

Elizabeth Forbes was smiling. She brushed her short blonde hair behind her ear and looked across the massive room. "And this year we're going to see it happen."

Anna looked like she was about to pass out; Megan was holding her mug between the table and her mouth.

"When Katherine Pierce was a girl, this hall had been home to balls and cotillions, friends and family, but it hasn't had many guests in the past century," Liz said. "I'm so glad today is an exception."

Then for the first time, Caroline noticed that the boys weren't alone. There was a man ushering them to the front of the room. He had short blonde hair and a pretty sturdy build.

"It is my pleasure to introduce Dr. Wes Maxfield…" Liz started, but trailed off as the blonde man walked behind the staff table and tilted the microphone toward his mouth, and said, "Dr. Wes."

"Excuse me?" Caroline's watched as her mother looked over at the man now standing next to her.

"Call me Dr. Wes," he said and waved at the girls.

"Of course," Liz told him, the turned to the room again. "Dr. Wes and his students will be spending the rest of the semester with us, and depending on how things go, possibly the whole year."

A low chorus of whispers grew inside the hall, but the headmistress continued. "They will be attending your classes, eating with you at meals." Sleeping in the East Wing, Caroline thought.

"Ladies, this is a wonderful opportunity," Liz said and Caroline knew she was about to wrap it up. "And I hope you will use this as a chance to forge bonds of friendship that you can carry throughout your lives."

"I wouldn't mind forging a bond with him," Caroline heard someone say at the end of the table. She looked up at the boy they were gesturing to. A boy with sandy curls and broad shoulders.

A boy who crossed his arms and leaned against the head table.

A boy who was smirking right at Caroline.

* * *

Caroline sat in class, not really paying attention as she played with the corner of one of her notebook papers. She didn't need to look around to know that every girl's eyes were shifting around, not really paying attention to the lecture.

Elena was looking around, Bonnie was twirling her pen around her index and middle finger while Kat tapped her foot rapidly on the floor.

Someone knocked on the classroom door and every girl in the room jumped up, unconsciously flattening their skirts and fixing their hair. Caroline sat back, straightening her feet out in front of her, crossing her ankles.

As she thought, Dr. Wes came in, a procession of boys behind him.

"Good morning, ladies," Dr. Wes said with a smile, and Caroline couldn't disagree more.

"How can I help you, Dr. Wes?" The teacher said, seeming rather annoyed that their lecture was being interrupted.

"I was just taking the boys to their classrooms. They'll have to find guides for their first couple of weeks here," Dr. Wes said, rubbing his hands together excitedly.

Every girl in the room perked up- except Caroline. She stayed back in her seat, hoping that a certain boy with a British accent didn't notice her.

"If they must," the teacher said and then sat back at his desk, waiting for the boys to introduce themselves.

Dr. Wes gestured for them to go ahead, the first one stepping forward being one that had rather large hair.

"Hi, I'm Stefan," the boy said with a wave. He looked around the classroom for a second before going to grab an extra chair and taking it over to where Elena was seated, sitting down next to her desk. Caroline watched as Elena smiled at Stefan and they shook hands.

"I'm Kol," the next one said. He had dark, messy hair. Not the type of messy that you get from waking up in the morning, but the intentional messy. He followed Stefan's lead, grabbing a chair and sitting down next to Bonnie's desk.

"My name is Elijah," the next one said, sounding rather proper and English. He grabbed a chair and sat down next to Kat. Katerina immediately flipped her dark curls over her shoulder and offered a smile. Caroline couldn't help but raise her eyebrows- was this how life was going to be from now on?

"Klaus," the last one said. Caroline didn't look up and she prayed he didn't do what she thought he was going to do.

But he did.

She looked up at him as he placed his chair next to her and smirked as he sat down. "And I think I've found my guide."

Caroline rolled her eyes, not caring if he saw.

Dr. Wes smiled. "Excellent. Well, I'll be on my way," he said, and excused himself from class.

The teacher stood up again and began lecturing on the manufacturing of poisons, but Caroline still wasn't paying attention. She could smell the same cologne on Klaus he had worn the week before. She took in his attire, noticing he was wearing black pants and a white Henley.

To her left, she could see Elijah wore black slacks and a white button down shirt (what was it with that guy and slacks?). They seemed to all have black plants and a white shirt- maybe their version of the Mystic Falls Academy uniform.

Caroline suddenly became very aware of how short her skirt was, leaving her completely legs exposed.

When the bell rung, Caroline closed her notebook and went to get her bag, only to find that Klaus had already picked it up. He had stood up from his chair and pushed it aside so that it wouldn't block her path. And had picked up her bag.

"Thanks," Caroline said, stuffing her pencil pouch and notebooks in her bag before slinging the strap over her shoulder.

"So we meet again," he lilted in his British accent and Caroline really just wanted to punch him.

Her violent thoughts were probably due to the embarrassment she felt when she saw him again. She had to give it to him- he was good. He had used her lack of knowledge against her when completing his mission the week before.

She had thought he was just a boy, just like she expected him to think she was just an ordinary girl.

She didn't hate him, she just didn't like losing.

So maybe that was the reason why she just rolled her eyes and didn't reply to his statement.

He smirked, opening the door for her. They walked out into the hallways and instantly the crowd of girls (and now some guys) pushed up against them from all directions. Caroline glanced momentarily a Klaus, already planning on ditching him.

But then she remembered that she was his guide, and she would have to stay with him whether she liked it or not.

From the corner of her eye she could see Klaus looking around, surveying the stone walls and ancient pillars surrounding them. "So this is the famous Mystic Falls Academy?"

"Yes," Caroline said politely. "This is the second floor of the south wing. Most of the senior classes are down this hall."

But Klaus wasn't listening. He was too busy staring- at her. 'And you're…" he started slowly. "...the famous Caroline Forbes."

Caroline looked at him and narrowed her eyes- how did he know her name? She had never told him her name.

He was looking at her with that glint in his eyes, the one she had seen the day at the museum. Tyler had used to look at her like he wanted to kiss her or take her to bed or get a psychiatrist to study her- all of which Caroline prefered to the look Klaus was giving her now. It was a cross between curiosity and smugness, like he knew something she didn't.

"Come on," Caroline mumbled after what seemed like a very long time. "Culture and Assimilation is on the first floor."

"Whoa," he stopped suddenly. "Did you just say you were taking me to culture class?" He asked, a mocking smile on his lips.

"Yes," Caroline said, grabbing his arm and pulling him along. Everyone was staring.

She let go of his arm when the reached the staircase. "Boy, when they say you've got the toughest curriculum in the world...they mean it." But it didn't take a genius to know that he didn't mean it.

"Culture and Assimilation has been part of the Mystic Falls Academy curriculum for over one hundred years, Klaus." They reached the tea room and Caroline turned.

"We're trained to blend into any culture- any environment. Assimilation isn't just a matter of social graces." She put her hand on the door and began pushing it open as she spoke. 'It's a matter of life and death."

The condescending look had just started to slip from Klaus's face when gentle strains of music came floating out from the tea room. Caroline heard Madame Sommer's voice. "Today, ladies and gentlemen, we will be studying the art… of dance!"

Caroline felt Klaus right behind her, his breath warm against her ear as he spoke. "Yeah… Life. And . Death."

Caroline stepped into the room, remembering to keep her poise and posture when in the presence of Madame Sommers.

The silk curtains had been pushed aside so that sunlight streamed into the room. The tables were draped with linen cloths and a vase of fresh orchids sat atop the center of each table.

Madame Sommers wore a flowy blue skirt, walking between tables, a gleaming smile across her face. "I have been saving this class for the arrival of our very special guests."

"Did you hear that?" Klaus whispered next to Caroline. "I'm special." He smirked.

"I don't-" Caroline started but was interrupted by Madame Sommers. "Oh Caroline, dear, would you and your friend like to demonstrate for the rest of the class?"

What she wanted to do was disappear, but how could she when Madame Sommers grabbed both of their hands and began pulling them to the center of the floor.

"You must be Niklaus Mikaelson," Madame Sommers said.

"Call me Klaus," he responded politely.

"Klaus,' she corrected. "Welcome to the Mystic Falls Academy. Now I must ask that you place your hand on Caroline's lower back."

Klaus smirked, sliding his arm around Caroline's waist. She wanted to wipe that smirk off his face.

She looked away from him as the music in the room got a little louder. She looked around the room, finding that Bonnie, Elena and Kat already had their dance partners.

Elena was smiling at Stefan like Caroline had never seen her, and Kat flipped her hair over her shoulder as Elijah slipped his arms around her waist.

Caroline saw that Anna also had a male partner.

"Alright now, girls, place one hand on your partner's shoulder- yes, yes some of you will have to take turns being the boy." Caroline placed her right hand on Klaus's shoulder and he held out his other hand, which she slipped her left hand into.

"Let the gentlemen lead, ladies," Caroline heard Madame Sommers instructing and soon Klaus started taking a step, and she was following his lead.

Her back was straight, her arms were stiff and she was practically holding her breath. It wasn't as if she hadn't danced with a boy before. But dancing with Klaus was...different.

"Hold your partners tightly," Madame Sommers said, standing right next to Caroline and Klaus. She placed one hand on each of their backs before pressing them closer together.

Caroline gasped slightly at the proximity. Klaus's face was a breath away from hers, their noses almost touching.

She was caught in his eyes again, two deep pools of crystal blue. She could sense that they had started moving again, dancing across the room, but their eyes never left each other.

He was taking in all her features- her milky white complexion, her pink lips, her blond curls that framed her delicate face. But one thing he kept coming back to were her eyes- her emerald green eyes that sparkled in the soft morning sunlight.

He kept his hand pressed into her lower back, giving a gentle tug and pulling her closer to his body.

Caroline adjusted her grip on his shoulder as he tightened his grasp on her. They were in their own world, the only external factor that penetrated their little bubble was the music, guiding their steps.

Caroline trusted klaus to lead and he didn't disappoint, , leading her across the dance floor with ease.

Klaus enjoyed how Caroline matched his steps, remembering how she had proven herself a worthy opponent the week before. She hadn't left one comment unanswered, not one point unrefuted. She had a fire in those green eyes he hadn't seen in anyone in his life.

They both became very aware that the music was fading, ending. If she had been a normal girl and not an operative in training, Caroline probably wouldn't have noticed how the music had been winding to close.

"Very good, very very good." Madame Sommers clapped and Caroline and Klaus let go of each other, joining in and clapping with the rest of the class.

Caroline looked away from Klaus, looking around the room again to all her classmates who were giggling and smiling.

She looked at Klaus who was clapping, but looking right at her. he wasn't smirking or looking at her condescendingly, he was just studying her, like he had been when they were in each other's arms.

Madame Sommers clapped her hands once more before asking everyone to find a seat. Caroline would have been ecstatic to get to sit down and not have to look at Klaus anymore, but he sat down right next to her.

That's right, Caroline thought, I'm his guide.

She didn't look at him the entire class, ignoring the way that he smirked as she crossed her ankles and kept her hands on her lap and her posture straight.

"Lighten up, Forbes," he leaned in and whispered after twenty minutes of class had passed. Caroline just rolled her eyes and was about to let out a very unlady like snort when Madame Sommers passed by their table, giving them the 'be quiet' look.

This was going to be a long year.

* * *

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